HÀ NỘI –A conference on UK-Việt Nam business relations in Hà Nội yesterday was told that a strong trademark that meets certified international health and environmental standards would bring more Vietnamese commodities to the UK market.

The Trade Promotion Agency - under the Ministry of Industry and Trade - held the event to update the local business community on the National Trademark Programme and support them in building their own trademarks.

Đỗ Kim Lang, director of the agency,  reminded the attendants that the UK remains a leading financial hub, the fifth largest economy in the world and the second in Europe. The UK is also one of the largest export markets in the EU.

“As Việt Nam integrates extensively into the world economy and enhances its political and economic position in the global arena, building a strong and prestigious trademark is important to affirm the quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese products and services,” he said. 

However, he also acknowledged the fact that Việt Nam has yet to build competitive trademarks, due to poor designs and non-standardised quality of its products. Along with efforts to assist enterprises, the agency, which also acts as the Secretariat of the National Trademark Programme, has called for the engagement of businesses in the programme’s activities as well as the involvement of ministries and sectors in tackling existing problems, he added.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Thị Hồng Thúy, from the Commercial Office of the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, said that the majority of UK firms focus on areas of advanced technology, health care, pharmaceuticals, machinery and equipment rather than basic consumer goods production. Therefore, the UK has a high demand for agro-forestry and fishery products, garments, footwear and handicrafts, which are amongst Việt Nam’s strengths, Thúy said. 

The opportunity has not yet been tapped by Vietnamese enterprises, largely due to their poor trademark promotion, she added. 

Saby Mishra, CEO of J. Water Thompson Việt Nam , asserted that although the UK has been an open market, products imported to the country are strictly controlled by the world’s highest technical and food safety standards. 

He advised Vietnamese firms to pay due attention to ensuring quality, health and environmental standards in their trademark in order to get a foothold in the UK market. Experts at the event also highlighted the need for businesses to create a difference in their products to satisfy customers’ demand, which also enables them to protect and promote their trademarks. -- VNS